Royal Highness

second time at Grimmburg. Seventy-two rounds resounded through the town and surrounding country, fired by the military in the walls of the "Citadel." Directly afterwards the fir

dividends. There the castle stood, the proud creation of the Margrave Klaus Grimmbart, the founder of the reigning house in the dim mists of history, since then several times rejuvenated and repaired, fitted with the comforts of the changing times, always kept

which had managed somehow to perpetuate itself? The people were convinced that there was something in it. Twice in the course of fifteen generations had children of reigning sovereigns, owing to some chance or other, first seen the light in other schlosses: each had come to an unnatural and disgraceful end. But all the sovereigns of the land and

rather badly paved street between shabby cottages and a scrubby wall, through massive gates to the ancient ruin at the entrance to the castle-yard, in the middle of which stood the statue of Klaus Grimmbart, the founder, was

pattern. The gilding of the intricate patterns on the vaulted ceilings looked fresh and cheerful, all the rooms had been fitted with parquet, and both the larger and the smaller banqueting-halls had been adorned with huge wall-paintings from the brush of Professor von Lindemann, a distinguished Academician, representing scenes from the history of the reigning House executed in a clear a

e at once drove to the castle. The Grand Duke was accompanied by Minister of State, Dr. Baron Knobelsdorff, and Adjutant-General of Infantry, Count Schmettern. Shortly afterwards two or three more ministers arrived at the royal residence, the Court Chaplin Dom Wislezenus, President of the High Consistory, one or two Court officials, and a still younger Adjutant, Captain von Lichterloh. Although the Grand Duke's Physician-in-Ordinary, Surgeon-General

whose window a fine view could be obtained of woods, hills, and the windings of the river. It was decorated with a friez

rses, while convulsions shook her lovely frame. Doctor Gnadebusch, the midwife, a gentle and learned woman with small fine han

over. It's quite easy.... Just once more ... that's nothi

ime there peeped into the room, to ascertain the progress of the confinement, Dorothea's trusty Mistress of the Robes, Baroness von Schulenburg-Tressen, a corpulent and asthmatic woman of distinctly dragoon-like appearance, who nevertheless liked to display a generous expanse of neck and shoulders at the court balls. Sh

history of the castle. The room was furnished as a writing-room. Globes adorned the walls. The strong wind from the hills blew through the open bow-window. The Grand Duke had ordered tea, and the groom of the chamber, Prahl, had himself brought the tray; but it was standing forgotten on

ann's pictures. They leaned against the slender pillars, which spread into brightly coloured vaulting above their heads. They stood before the narrow, ceiling-high windows, and looked out through the leaded panes over river and town; they sat on the stone benches which ran rou

-instruments and the round leather-cased chloroform jar, which Surgeon-General Eschrich had left there in case of emergency. After von Bühl zu Bühl, the Lord Marshal, a powerful man with mincing manners, brown toupée, gold-rimmed pince-nez, and long, yellow fingernails, had told several

ch began with a discussion on art, went on to financial and economic questions, alluded, somewhat disapprovingly, to a High Court official, and did not leave even the most exalted personages out of account. It began with the two men standing, with the

d by their uncle, the Emperor. As your Excellency can see, the two young men

he princes have! And the Emperor ... exactly as he is described in the books! Ye

h have been given him;

m from time to time during conversations with the baron. This Knobelsdorff, this favourite and exalted functionary, was so enigmatical. At times his remarks, his retorts, had an indefinable tinge of irony about them. He was a widely travelled man, he had been all over the world, he had so much general knowledge, and interests of such a stran

ounger than the Finance Minister; he was then in the prime of life, although his close-trimmed moustache and hair smoothly parted in the middle were already beginning to turn grey-for the rest a squat, short-necked man, obviously pinched by the collar of his heavily-laced court dress. He left Herr

ed him. "Just what I was thinking!" said he, turning round to resume his walk through the galleries. "Your Excellency has taken the question out of my mouth

east

Bühl zu Bühl, who is sitting yonder in a state of comfortable catalepsy-audited

sed, or

s total, I say, debited

d of the Grand Duca

ndriac, but it makes me run cold when I think of a man, with present conditions staring him in the face, coolly throwing a millio

is hampered by a trust entailed in fact. Advantageous alienations are barred. Mortgages, the raising of capital on credit for commercial improvements, seem to them improper. The administration is seriously hindered in the free exploitation of business opportunities-by ideas of dignity. You'll forgive me, won't you? I'm telling you the absolute truth. People who pay so much attention to propriety as these of course cannot and will not keep pace with the freer and less hampered initiative of less obstinate and unpractical business people. Now then, what, in comparison with this negative luxury, does the positive million signify, which has been sacrificed to a pretty whim, to borrow your Excellency's expression? If it o

do no wrong.... The sovereign is beyond the reach of reproaches. But here we have to do with a default ... in both senses of the word!... a default which I have no hesitation in laying at the door of Count Trümmerhauff. His predecessors may be pardoned for having concealed from their sovereigns the true state of the Court finances; in

f knitted his br

deliberate expression of his wishes on the part of his Royal Highness, which the Count must be the first to respect. It expressed not only an 'I don't know,' but also an 'I won't know.' A man may be an exclusively decorative personality and yet be acute enough to grasp this.... Besides ... honestly ... we

men were sitting, half turned towards each other, on a raised window seat in a roomy niche, past which a narrow stone corridor

re contradicting me, and yet your words show

aid nothing, but made a

opportunity offered itself of putting the finances of the Court on a sound footing, on a better footing anyhow, if you like. It was lost. We understand each other. The Grand Duke, attractive man that he is, had it then in his power to clear thin

wrinkles at the corners of his eyes disappeared almost en

er, an answer which would have held quite as good if his Royal Highness's cho

ir to the throne we need not discuss. Then, a few weeks after he had succeeded, Johann Albrecht met Princess Dorothea, cried, "This one or none!" and the Grand Duchy had its sovereign lady. Your Excellency mentioned the thoughtful looks which were exchanged when the figures of the dowry were published,-you did not mention the jubilation which at the same time prevailed. A poor princess, to be sure. But is beauty,

ere are not; just wh

main point is, Dorothea has pres

ven grant some i

agr

was quickly thrown open, and the aide-de-camp appeared in the hall. He had a red face, blue soldier's eyes, a bristling flaxen moustache, and silver lace on his collar. He looked somewhat excited, like a man who had been released from deadly boredom and was primed

jutant-General

delightful!" said Lord Marshal von Bühl zu Bühl in

o his personal distinction, had attained to his high dignity at a comparatively early age, and on whose black silk gown hung

are encroaching on my privileges and province. Until I have made the most searching investigation

you wish, your Excellency! Then I have the honour to beg

sex of the princely offspring and to make an official declaration on the subject. Herr von Knobelsdorff complied with this formality in the so-called powder-closet in which the new-bor

spectacles, travelled between the Minister of State and the little copper-coloured creature

e Prince and then up at the Baron, until she had drawn his eyes to the point to which she wished to attract them. The wrinkles at the corners of his

Excel

aid Herr von Knobelsdorff, "tell

e ground-floor he repor

-General Eschrich in a short, extremely unpleasant scene, but for the Grimmburg Doctor Sammet in an interview with the Grand Duke which

d with a blue silk curtain, and sat down in an armchair by the side of his little son. But while he sat and watched the sleeping infant it happened that he noticed what it was hoped that he would not notice yet. He drew the counterpane back, his face clouded over,

d on the writing-table, and said to Herr von Lichterloh, who

e was wont to strip the culprit for the moment of all his tit

de once or twice in a rage up and down the room, and then, hearing Herr von Lichterloh bring t

avings, photographs, and picture postcards had been published. The only difference was that Johann Albrecht in the portrait seemed to be of heroic stature, while he really was scarcely of medium height. His forehead was high where his hair had receded, and from under his grey eyebrows, his blue eyes looked out, with dark rings round them, giving them an expression of tired haughtiness. He had the broad,

off his operating-coat. His eyelid drooped more heavily than

head back, stretched out his right hand and waved it

d he, with a voice trembling with irritation. "You will have the good

hand a little-a feeble gesture of i

tunate occurrence. Unfavourable circumstances

ation, in fact he would not allow one. "I would remind you, sir, that I am beside myself. Unfor

head and, sinking his voice to a submiss

responsible. Privy Councillor Grasanger-an authority on gyn?cology-examin

superintended the confinement. I have relied on the knowledge to be expected from your rank, Surgeon-General, I have trusted to your exper

l Highness graci

ave weighed and foun

ds, bowing. In the ante-room he shrugged

hether it was that he wished to humiliate the Physician-in-Ordinary still further, or that he regretted having robbed himself of any explan

ds he stood in an easy and unconstrained attitude, and gave reassuring answers, although he showed that he was naturally rather slow of speech, beginning his sentences with hesitating noises and frequently interspersing them with a "Yes," as if to confirm what he was saying. He wore his dark yellow hair cut en brosse and his moustache untrimmed. His chin and cheeks were clean-shaved, and rather sore from it.

the manner of a teacher who has been scolding a naughty boy

that it has not escaped your notice.... I am confronted with a riddle ... an extremely painful riddle.... In a word, I desire your

ained his princely composure. Then he said: "Yes; we have here to do with a case which is not of very c

e ... atr

Highness. I mean st

ted. But it's unheard of! I cannot understand it! Such a thing has

the news had only just penetrated that people were talking lately about heredity. He answere

ockingly. "That is one satisfaction. But will you be so k

anical one. It has been caused through a mechanical constriction during the deve

ess. He kept his brows knit and his mouth open: the two furrows running down to his beard seemed deeper than ever. He

various ways. But we can say with comparative certainty that i

pardon....

so slowly that threads and cords are left stretching from one to the other ... amniotic threads as we call them, yes. These threads may be dangerous, for they

we must be thankful that it has not

t all that has happened is an unfa

t be discovered, f

t no blame whatever attaches to anybody. Such constrictions

is incurable? The hand

d; he looked kindly

cautiously. "But the stunted hand will grow a little lar

tance ... to hold his reins or to m

ps not much. And he's got his

nned Dr. Sammet's face earnestly. "Very noticeable? Will

met evasively, "live and work u

. At last the Grand Duke resumed his position at the writing-table and said: "I have now heard what I wanted to know, doctor; I thank you

st in the capital I should like a few years of really varied practice, of general experie

of you. In what do you pro

Royal Highness. I intend to

and Duke, throwing back his h

oyal Hi

drawback in your professional career? I ask as a ruler, who is especially concerned that the princ

ent the incidence in the life of the community of exceptional and abnormal men who are distinguished from the bourgeois by their nobleness or infamy. It is the duty of the individual not to concern himself as to the precise nature of the distinction between him and the common herd, but to see what is the essential in that distinction and

nt. He dismissed the young man with the words: "Well, doctor, my time is limited. I thank you. This interview-apart from its painful occasion-ha

special train to the capital, chiefly to show himself to the rejoicing populace, but also in order to give several audiences in th

stle to the station alone with von Knobelsdorff, the Minister of State, in an open landau, one of the brown Court carriages with the little golden crown on the door. The white feathers in the hats of the chasseurs in front fluttered in the summer breeze. Johann Al

le anomaly which has been discovered in the Prince's body, ... and yet one would think

misfortune; but misfortunes for which nobody is to blame are the most terrible of all misfortunes, and the sight of their Sovereign ought to awaken in his people other feelings than those of sympathy. The Heir Apparent is delicate, needs constant care. It was a miracle that he survived that attack of pleurisy two years ago, and it will be nothing less than a miracle if he lives to attain his majority. Now Heaven grant

elsdorff. "Did your Royal Highness us

berat

nds, yet as one is stunted, one might if one lik

t th

ighness's second son, but that the heir to the t

you mean

ill laugh at me; but I am t

n? Please go on

e to your Royal Highness's house-a prince 'with one hand'-that is how tradition puts it

on Knobelsdorff, at the outer corner of whose eyes the radiating wrinkles were

derate case of atrophy. But that much counts for a good deal, for what is there to prevent me, what is there to prevent the people, from assuming the whole by this partial fulfilment, and declaring that the conditional part of the prophecy has been fulfilled? The people will do so; if not at once, at any rate if the rest of the prophecy, the actual prom

, secretly thrilled by dreams

. You want to comfort me, and you have not done i

apart in front, waiting for the carriages. There was the mayor, raising his top-hat, wiping his forehead with a crumpled handkerchief, and poring over a paper whose cont

The town was dressed with fla

g there were illuminations; not by formal request of the aut